“Remember, remember, the fifth of November . . . ”

Some of you may be wondering who on Earth “Guy Fawkes” is. Let me give you the condensed version of his story:

In essence, he was a peeved English Catholic, angered by the lack of civil rights afforded Catholics in the early 17th Century under the reign of James I, the son of Mary Queen of Scots, martyr for the Roman Catholic Church. James, however, turned his back on his mother’s legacy and thoroughly embraced the Protestantism of Elizabethan England. And so, like any rationally-thinking Englishman displeased with the political and religious trends of the day, he planned to blow up Parliament and the entire House of Lords with a secret stash of gunpowder. Of course, he was was caught and tortured until he broke his silence and explained the whole plot and those who were involved. The “Catholic plot” to topple Protestant England was actually one of the main reasons that Catholics enjoyed less civil rights than any other group in England, well into the 1800’s. And thus the traditional celebration on this day, the day upon which those wicked Catholics failed to blow up God’s chosen people (or so the Tudors and Stuarts would say).

So I’d like to take this moment to remind you not to attempt to blow up those who oppress us in one way or another. It’s uncouth.

And one final interesting thing about King James – it is speculated by many reputable historians that James was, in our own contemporary terminology, a “flamer.” He had several . . . special . . . male friends who always seemed to be hovering around his throne. Indeed, there was a popular saying in England at this time which stated, “Rex fuit Elizabeth, nunc est regina Iacobus” (Elizabeth was King, now James is Queen). Who says you can’t have fun with Latin? 

Tags: Homosexuality, Politics, Protestant, Reflection, Thou Shalt Laugh

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